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Your Defence Forces Newsletter LAST ROUND O ver 300 people gathered in the Glen of Imaal for the Chief of Staff Lt Gen Conor O'Boyle firing his last round as COS. The event was organised by the Artillery School who had 8 105mm artillery guns laid out on the anti-tank range of the glen. The Chief was given an 8 gun 16 round salute before he himself stepped in to fire a single round and the final round of his Defence Forces career. Lt Gen O'Boyle was born in 1952 and joined the Defence Forces as a cadet in 1970. On commis- sioning in 1972, he was assigned to the Artillery Corps and began his career in 2 Field Artillery Regiment in Dublin. He spent his career in a number of different units including the Air Defence Regiment, the Artillery School and the Command & Staff School to name but a few. He now finishes his career as the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, an appointment he has held since the 12th August 2013. L A F T R A I N I N G F rom the 15th to 19th of June joint train- ing was conducted between the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and Finnish-Irish Battalion (FINIRISHBATT) at UNP 2-45 in At Tiri to augment working relationships between both parties. Training like this enhances interoperability and mutual under- standing between LAF and FINIRISHBATT. A wide variety of training was conducted during the week including patrol orders, communications training, medical and counter IED training. Finnish, Irish and Estonian peacekeepers took part in and delivered the training alongside their Lebanese counterparts. The training during the week was embraced by both the students and instructors. It was obvious to all that there was an eagerness and willingness to learn from every- one involved. FINIRISHBATT and LAF personnel benefitted from the training, a number of lessons were learned and areas of improvement were identified. In the coming months both par- ties will use these lessons learned to improve their operational effectiveness while working in the AO. Joint patrolling and road checks are often carried out by LAF and FINIRISHBATT. The week culminated with the awarding of certificates to the participants. Under Security Council resolution 1701 there are three main pillars to UNIFILs mission in Lebanon. They are Monitor, Support and Assist. LAF joint training falls under the support pillar, as the Lebanese army is the strategic partner of UNIFIL. UNIFIL's long- term strategy is to transfer responsibility to the LAF. Joint train- ing like this is a way of ensuring the LAF receive training that is of the highest international standards of practise. EIPD AWARDS O n the morning of Tuesday, 23rd June 2015 the NSAI (National Standards Authority of Ireland) and the Naval Service launched this year's EIPD (Excellence in People Development) Awards at the Naval Base in Haulbowline, Cobh. Organised by NSAI, the Excellence in People Development Awards recognises Irish organisation's world-class commitment to people development. The awards are a Government Action Plan for Jobs initiative to recognise the remarkable employee development work that goes on within business. Speaking at the launch, Fergal O'Byrne, Head of Business Excellence at NSAI, said: "Now entering its second year, the Excellence in People Development Awards are an opportunity to celebrate success and highlight outstanding achievements by organisations, both large and small. The awards are a fitting acknowledgement for the commitment shown by Irish organi- sation's to standards of excellence. Investing in staff creates a knowledge based, efficient workforce which in turn leads to many benefits for organisations. The EIPD Awards recognises the commitment shown by Irish organisation's to standards of excellence and it reinforces Ireland's ability to excel on the world stage." Last year, the Naval Service's Diving Section was recognised for their success in designing an internationally recognised pro- gramme to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Comment- ing on today's launch, Lieutenant Commander Conor Kirwan, Officer Commanding L.É. Orla and former Officer-in-Charge, Naval Service Diving Section said: "The Naval Service has led the Defence Forces in the area of certification for the train- ing and education of our people over the last number of years. However, the EIPD Awards allowed the Navy to compete against private companies and organisations nationally. Our success has provided confidence in our ability to develop innovative avenues for the further education of our people. Furthermore, this award supports our belief that, within the Naval Service, our people will always be our greatest asset." Finalists will be invited to a national awards ceremony on 3rd December, where each winner will be presented with an award. For further information on this year's awards visit: www.nsai.ie/eipdawards @NSAI_Standards #EIPDAwards

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